Brazil president in grips of party crisis

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, one of his politician sons and his ultraconservative party were embroiled in a crisis Sunday over a campaign finance scandal threatening the leader’s anti-corruption image. The 63-year-old far-right president, who is just six weeks into his mandate, spoke with top officials in his government Friday and Saturday to try to draw a line under the affair, after key allies turned on him.

Brazilian media, citing anonymous government sources, said the outcome could be the forced exit on Monday of one of his ministers, Gustavo Bebianno, a former chief of his Social Liberal Party who is reportedly suspected of misusing campaign funds in last year’s election.

The furor could divert the president’s attention as he tries to focus on other priorities, including a bill to reform Brazil’s unsustainable pension system, and stepping up pressure on Venezuela as part of a US-led effort to topple President Nicolas Maduro.